Garment Closure Device

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a garment closure comprising a front component, a rear component and an intermediate connector component. The connector component fastens the front component and the rear component together so that the front component and rear component are in spaced relationship relative to each other. The rear component is configured for insertion through a fastener aperture.

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHTS AND TRADE DRESS

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may show and/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and trade dress rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This disclosure relates to garment closure devices, and apparatus for fastening together pieces of fabric or material.

2. Description of the Related Art

Buttons are used extensively on different types of garments, apparel and other materials, and temporarily and releasably fasten one first portion of the garment to another second portion thereof. The first portion of the garment has the button attached thereto, usually by thread or in the form of a stud, while the second portion of the garment has a small slit or hole, commensurate or corresponding in size to the diameter of the button so that the button can be fairly easily pushed through the hole, thereby fastening together the first and second garment portions.

A button is often used on a pair of trousers above the fly thereof, or on a skirt above a zipper, to keep the waistband of the trousers or the skirt held together. Such a button is known as a shank. The term waistband refers to the band of material at the top of a skirt or trousers which typically sits around or near the waist of the wearer. The waistband may be a specifically identifiable band of material or other fabric, or merely that portion at or near the top of the skirt or trousers which will fit around or near the waist of the wearer. The term fabric means a substantially thin, flat, flexible material made of natural or artificial materials, or combinations thereof, made by weaving, knitting, spreading, crocheting, or bonding, and also includes leather, neoprene, and similar materials.

The shank on the waistband of a pair of trousers can be unfastened to open the waistband for the purposes of putting on the trousers, and thereafter fastened to maintain the smaller diameter of the waistband comfortably around the user's waist. In conventional trousers, the left side of the waistband will typically overlie by a short distance the right side of the waistband. The shank is fixed to the right side of the waistband, while the left side of the waistband will have an appropriately sized button hole for releasably receiving the shank. Therefore, the condition of the trousers can alternate between a position in which the shank is unfastened and the waistband is opened (to facilitate putting on and taking off the trousers), and a position in which the shank is fastened to reduce the waistband diameter to a size comfortable on the wearer so that the waistband sits around or near the waist.

In the conventional arrangement described above, the right side of the waistband will be closer to the body, and the left side of the waistband will overlie the right side thereof so that the right side is interposed between the body of the wearer and the left side of the waistband.

Button flies are also known, in which one or more buttons are disposed below the shank.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side/front perspective view of a garment closure device.

FIG. 2 is a side/rear perspective exploded view of the garment closure device.

FIG. 3 is a side exploded view of the garment closure device.

FIG. 4 is another side/front perspective exploded view of the garment closure device.

FIG. 5 is a partial cut-away top or side view of a garment closed by the garment closure device.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a fabric member and a partially hidden view of the garment closure device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a side/front perspective view of a garment closure device 100. The garment closure device 100 has a base 150 and a cap 180. The base 150 has a front component 120, a rear component 140 and a center component 160. The front component 120 and rear component 140 as shown are circular and plate-like, though they may have respective shapes which may be regular or irregular, and of consistent or inconsistent thickness. The front component 120 has an outer surface 128 and a peripheral edge 122 which may be flat with beveled edges. The rear component 140 has an inner surface 144 and a peripheral edge 142 which may have a striated or knurled surface as shown to provide an easy grip to a person, but soft or smooth enough to avoid damage to adjacent fabric or skin. The inner surface 144 and the outer surface 128 may be flat or smooth to minimize interference with adjacent fabric. The front component 120 may be sized larger or smaller than the rear component 140, e.g., by surface area or radius.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown a side/rear perspective view of the garment closure device 100. The front component 120 has an inner surface 124. The rear component 140 has an outer surface 148. The inner surface 124 and the outer surface 148 may be flat or smooth to minimize interference with adjacent fabric.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown a side view of the garment closure device 100. The center component 160 extends between the inner surface 124 of the front component 120 to the inner surface 144 of the rear component 140. The center component 160 may be cylindrical and have an axis which corresponds substantially with respective centers of the front component 120 and the rear component 140. The center component 160 joins in an integral, rigid manner the front component 120 and the rear component 140 to render unitary the base 150. The center component 160 may comprise a pair of threaded shafts extending from each of the front component 120 and the rear component 140, and mating for a secure connection. Alternatively the center component 160 may be a unitary part which is attached to the front component 120 and rear component 140, for example by welding, soldering, magnetism or glue.

The base 150 may be formed from a single piece of material such as a metal, metal alloy, plastic, or plastic-like material, and may be machined or extruded to shape. The garment closure device 100 may be comprised of multiple parts permanently or semi-permanently joined together. The joints may be glue or welds.

Referring now to FIG. 4 there is shown another side/front perspective view of the garment closure device 100. In this view the cap 180 is shown removed from the base 150.

In the base, the outer surface 128 may have an opening 125 to a channel 126 passing through the front component 120 and which exposes a channel 166 in the center component 160. The channel 166 may have a female thread, and the thread may extend into the channel 126.

The cap 180 may be structured so as to facilitate the display of decorative or ornamental material thereon. The cap 180 may be provided having a decorative portion 182 and a shaft 184. A user may have several caps having different decorative portions, for example of different shape, size, color, configuration, or other appearance attribute. The user may choose a cap according to his or her mood or fashion preferences with a particular outfit. Thus, a cap with one type of decorative portion may be substituted or replaced with another preferred by the wearer with a given outfit. Though the decorative portion 182 has decorative function, it also has a mechanical function in closing a garment.

In use, the shaft 184 can be releasably inserted into the channel 166 of the center component 160. The decorative member 180 may be easily removed and replaced with others according to the whim or fashion sense of the wearer. The knurls on the peripheral edge 142 of the rear component 140 may provide a person with a better grip when attaching and removing caps.

Where the channel 166 has a female thread, the shaft 184 may have a complementary male thread. Instead of a threading, the cap 180 may be releasably secured into the channel 166 using a friction fit, spring lock, magnets or other mechanism which will keep the shaft 184 securely attached in the channel 166 during ordinary usage while permitting a person to remove and replace the decorative member when desired.

The shaft 184 may be sized longer or shorter than the combined length of the two channels 126, 166. The shaft 184 may be sized such that a portion is secured within the channels 126, 166 and a portion lies outside, and this outside portion has a size to accommodate a fabric element when the garment closure device 100 is in use.

The channel 126 provides an alternative or additional attachment interface to the shaft 184. The channel 126 may have features akin to those described with respect to the channel 166, and the two channels may function in concert or as alternatives.

Referring now to FIG. 5 there is shown a partial cut-away top or side view of a garment closed by the garment closure device 100. The garment includes a first fabric member 550 and a second fabric member 570 which overlap at least in part and may be sections of a single fabric member.

The garment may be, for example, a waistband on a pair of trousers or a skirt, and in that case FIG. 5 would be considered to show a top view looking down on the waistband. In that case, the first fabric member 550 may be an outward-facing part of the waistband and the second fabric member 570 may be the part obscured by the outward-facing part. In that case the second fabric member 570 is against the body of the wearer, while the first fabric member 550 extends around the front of the wearer and the two are joined at some point.

With the garment closure device 100 fully installed as shown in FIG. 5, the decorative portion 182 and the front component 120 sandwiches the first fabric member 550, and the front component 120 and the rear component 140 lie on opposite sides of the second fabric member 570. Dashed lines in FIG. 5 indicate an eyelet 555 through the first fabric member 550 and a keyhole 575 through the second fabric member 570. The eyelet 555, the shaft 184 (not shown) and the decorative portion 182 are configured in shape, size and thickness such that the shaft 184 passes through the aperture 550 but the decorative portion 182 cannot when in place. Likewise, the keyhole 575, the center component 160 (not shown) and the front portion 120 are configured such that the center component 160 passes through the keyhole 575 but the front component 120 cannot when in place.

The length of the decorative portion 182 and the center component 160 may be sized to correspond to the thickness and compressability of the fabric members 550, 570 respectively, and may be longer to provide a looser fit. Thus, the length of the shaft 184 extending out of the base 150 may be slightly greater than that of the first fabric member 550, and the length of the center component 160 may be slightly greater than that of the second fabric member 570.

The decorative portion 182 and the front component 120 are in spaced relationship relative to each other and the shaft 184 passes through the eyelet 555 so that the cap 180 cannot be removed from the first fabric member 550 in normal use. The decorative portion 182 and the front component 120 may be configured such they cannot pass through the eyelet 555. For example, the decorative portion 182 and the front component 120 may have respective diameters larger than the eyelet 555. Therefore, the cap 180 when installed in the base 150 may be effectively permanently secured to the first fabric member 550.

In contrast, the front component 120 and rear component 140 are in spaced relationship relative to each other and the center component 160 passes through the keyhole 575 so that the base 150 can be removed from the second fabric member 570 in normal use. The rear component 140 may be configured such that the rear component 140 can pass through the keyhole 575. For example, the rear component 140 may have a diameter smaller than the keyhole 575. Therefore, the base 150 when so placed in the keyhole 575 may be effectively removably secured to the second fabric member 570.

The first fabric member 550 and the second fabric member 570 may be positioned such that the apertures 555, 575 align.

Referring now to FIG. 6 there is shown a front view of the first fabric member 550 and a partially hidden view of the garment closure device 100. The eyelet 555 has a generally round shape. The eyelet 555 and cap 180 are configured so as to prevent the decorative portion 184 from passing through the eyelet 555 when the shaft 184 is pressed against an edge of the eyelet 555, in a manner similar to that of a typical sewn-in button. The base 150 may have a similar relationship with the keyhole 575, such that the keyhole 575 is generally ovate and configured so as to prevent the rear component 140 from passing through the keyhole 575 when the center component 160 is pressed against an edge of the keyhole 575.

The garment closure device may be used to fasten together pieces of fabric or material, not necessarily in a garment.

CLOSING COMMENTS

Throughout this description, the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than limitations on the apparatus and procedures disclosed or claimed. Although many of the examples presented herein involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, it should be understood that those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. With regard to flowcharts, additional and fewer steps may be taken, and the steps as shown may be combined or further refined to achieve the methods described herein. Acts, elements and features discussed only in connection with one embodiment are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other embodiments.

As used herein, “plurality” means two or more. As used herein, a “set” of items may include one or more of such items. As used herein, whether in the written description or the claims, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “carrying”, “having”, “containing”, “involving”, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”, respectively, are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims. Use of ordinal terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements. 

It is claimed:
 1. An apparatus comprising a garment closure device comprising: a base comprising a front component, a rear component and a center component, wherein the center component has opposite first and second sides, the front component has an inside face and an outside face, the front component has an opening in the outside face and a channel from the opening into the front component, the rear component has an inside face and an outside face, the front component is securely connected to the center component, the rear component is securely connected to the center component, the front component has a front cross-section larger than a front cross-section of the center component, the rear component has a front cross-section larger than the front cross-section of the center component; a cap comprising a shaft and a decorative portion, wherein the decorative portion has a frontal cross-section larger than a front cross-section of the shaft; wherein the channel and the shaft are adapted to be releasably secured to one another.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the front component comprises a circular disc.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein center component is cylindrical in shape.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rear component is disc shaped and has a knurled peripheral edge.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 including a first fabric member having an eyelet and a second fabric member including a keyhole, wherein: the cap and the base are configured to sandwich the first fabric member between the decorative portion and the front component, with the shaft passing through the eyelet, the base is configured to sandwich the second fabric member between the front component and the second component, with the center component passing through the keyhole.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first aperture is generally ovate and configured so as to prevent the decorative portion from passing therethrough when the shaft is pressed against an edge of the first aperture.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the second aperture is generally ovate and configured so as to prevent the front component from passing therethrough when the center component is pressed against an edge of the second aperture.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a plurality of caps each having a substantially identical shaft and having and differing decorative characteristics of the decorative portion. 